Pages

Monday, November 30, 2009

Don't miss this last day of Stampaganza (midnight Nov 30th, MT) This a great sale and you have the comfort of shopping from your own home, in your jammies, after the kids are in bed! For the Stampaganza details, visit my website, and then sit down and shop!

Did you know that CTMH will be retiring about 150 stamp sets at the end of December? To see the stamp sets we must say good bye to, to make room for new, click here! These sets also qualify for the Stampaganza special! Another reason to take advantage of cyber Monday at CTMH!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Take some time to consider gift ideas from Close to My Heart even for those who may not be crafters. Everyone can use a great pair of sharp, smooth cutting microtip scissors. Or what about our new shoulder bag. The colors are a stunning spring iris with black and the size and detailing are great for anyone. Shopping is easy! Visit my website to place your orders or email me with your orders.

Just a reminder that Stampaganza continues through November 30th! This offer allows you to purchase two stamp set and get a third one for free. This is a great opportunity to save on gifts for those who scrapbook and stamp.

Do you need gift suggestions to pass on to your family?
What about a CTMH kit for $99 which includes over $350 in stamping and scrapbooking product from the new Spring 2010 Idea Book? This also includes a 10% to 22% discount of any future purchases from CTMH. If you are interested in knowing more about this, please contact me or have your "Santa" give me a jingle.
This New Year, give yourself the gift of time to connect with friends you haven't seen in awhile, an opportunity to have some fun being creative and free scrapbooking or stamping products. And, best of all, I do all the work! Let's set a date today!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

An easy way to "color" a stamped image is to use the back side of the stamp. In this tutorial, I will show you the simple steps to take and take the "white" out of the image and replace it with a softer color. First, stamp your image.

Here I used the garnet ink and stamp set from the Sweet Home Workshop on The Go.

Next, after cleaning the stamp, I removed it from the block, turned it over and put it on the block, image side down. I ink the backside, stamped off on scratch paper and then stamped over the orginal flower image.

Finally, I cut the image out using the microtip scissors and added it to my card.

The finished card. I used this technique on all the stamped images, including the border on the upper left hand square. Your turn. Give this technique a try and send me a photo of the results!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Making the most out of your stamp set is sometimes a challenge but thinking "out of the box" creates more value in the product you have! We used two different stamp sets, D1369 Delightful Things and D1361 Thank You. By using both the image and back side of some of the stamps, the ornament on the 3 1/2 x 8 card were created. The tree is created using the "etched" corner from the Delightful Things set. Other images were created by stamping a single stamp multiple time or by masking. Lots of interesting "out of the box" ideas. Watch for a tutorial of stamping with the image and back side of the stamp to create a colored in appearing stamp. So fast, simple and easy yet beautiful!

Monday, November 23, 2009

While in Portland at the CTMH Regional Celebration, we did get a sneak peek at the journal. The cover has a plastic pocket so you can personalize it. Stay tuned for more details when the Spring Idea Book goes live on Jan 1 2010.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Time for the little elves to come and make some home made Christmas items. RSVP and prepay for your items by Friday November 20th. Workshop will be held Saturday Dec 5th 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Kids are welcome from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Email me to register.

Memory Keepers: Preserve Christmas cards or other special items in a beautiful keepsake box. $15 per box.

Gift card holders: Add a special touch to your gift card with a handmade “packaging”. These simple but cute holders make giving a gift card even more fun. Envelope included. $1.

Holiday Peppermint Kit: This kit is made by decorating a CD case, adding peppermint and chocolate treats, and if you choose, make a gift card holder to include with it or separately. Wrapped with a special paper ribbon and embellished with a candy cane and showflakes, this is a fun treat for a friend or teacher. $4 per case. Includes candy and tea, cocoa or cider mixes.

Mini accordian album: Using two coasters, patterned papers and an accordian fold, create this mini album to share memories with relatives and friends. Choose from feminine and masculine paper packets $3 per book.

Note Holders: Need a gift for a teacher, co-worker or friend? These cute little Post-It note clip boards are great for anyone’s desk! Several papers to choose from. $3 or 2 for $5.

Ho, Ho, Ho Wall Hanging: This decoration is easy to make and simple to display. Makes a great hostess gift and you might want one for yourself too! JOY is available also. $4 each.

Gift Basket! – This adorable gift basket is fast and simple to create! It makes a great “basket” for any Christmas gift. Fill it with teaching supplies, baked goods, etc. (Kits will ) $3 per basket or 2 for $5

Take a very cute card kit from the idea book, add a stamp set and ink, maybe a couple of buttons and sparkles and you get this fabulous holiday decoration. I made this at the Portland Regional Convention and it is so easy, inexpensive and fast! You can make one too! See the product list below!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

I had the opportunity to spend last weekend in Portland for a CTMH Regional Celebration. I enjoy the opportunities that CTMH offer but best of all, I love the friends that I get to spend time with through CTMH events. I drove down with four wonderful ladies, some of the my downline, others who are "cousins". We spent time stamping, scrapbooking, attending business classes, sharing ideas, and just getting to know one another better. That is the best part, getting to know one another better. I am so blessed to work with these wonderful people!

When you bring a friend, you and your friend will receive a free product based on the total of your CTMH order.

And it is Stampaganza month with CTMH, which means when you buy two stamp sets, you get one free!

Finish your holiday shopping early this year, AND SKIP THE MALL MADNESS. You will be able to take care of everyone on your list family, friends, coworkers, teachers and gifts for you. Get stocking stuffers, too!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The November Stamp of the month is called "Around the Block" and is so much fun! I went around the "bloghop" of CTMH consultants who have posted their artwork and it was so fun to see the diversity of "homes" created with this set. My favorite so far is the Gingerbread style inspired by Karen Pederson. That is probably because I love to bake and decorate gingerbread houses for the holidays.

The gift box I made above is from consultant, Paige Dolecki, and she has a great tutorial on her blog. I am using mine as a hostess gift for this weekend. My only problem is I am not sure what to put in it! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. If you want to see more artwork using this stamp set, get a warm drink and begin the "hop around the blog".

Monday, November 2, 2009

In order to make room for some new stamps, annually, Close to My Heart retires stamp sets. Although it is sad to see them go, it is exciting to anticipate the new! Stamp sets designated for retirement at the end of 2009 will be featured in their own category on my Close to My Heart website beginning Monday, November 2, just in time for Stampaganza. Retiring stamps will still be listed in their respective categories (summer, everyday life, etc.), but will also be highlighted in their own category in the shop online section. Review this list to make sure your favorite stamp set is not retiring from our selection. If you have started a specific collection, such as the monthly word puzzles, you may want to complete the set before it retires.

About Me

I have discovered my creativity through stamping, scrapbooking and paper crafting. I enjoy showing others how to use Close to My Heart products to find their creative side. Join me in feeling successful in your creativity.